Cold Star opened slowly opened her sleepy eyes, but didn't want to get out from the bed since she knew what days awaits her. After a ten minutes hoping for some miracle that she doesn't need to go to work today she got out from the cloud bed. She took a look out from one of the windows which were in the kitchen and she could feel that she have twenty more minutes before she should report to duty. Ever since she was little, for some strange reason she could always tell what time it is with only a few minutes inaccuracy only by looking at the sun.
It was one of the rare talents which only a few number of pegasi could do all around Equestria. Looking at the half eaten food she let out a small sigh then placed it back under the container and placed a snowing cloud above it which would keep it cold so she can eat it later. She took a look at her working schedule which was hanging on the wall, today's date was marked with a red circle around it just like a couple of other. She had to make sure that she remembered well, but for her biggest disappointment she did.
Before she would jumped off from the cloud in front of her door, she took a final deep breath. She arrived to their usual meeting point and just like always her assigned partner was running late, just like always. A small smile curved on her face since she was waiting for what kind of excuse she will bring up today. She could always come up with something.
About half an hour waiting a rainbow maned pegasus appeared on the sky heading towards her with an incredible speed. Cold Star took a few steps back on the cloud when she was getting real close without any sign of slowing down. Rainbow Dash just a couple of seconds before she would make an impact to the cloud spreaded her wings with her whole might and landed without any trouble. They knew each other for a while now, but Dash could still impress her no matter what, for Cold Star's luck, she could always hid her amazed look behind her dark blue fur.
"Well, I'm listening."
Cold Star stated with a bit of anger in her tone and huffish look on her face yet she couldn't hide her smiling and Rainbow understood it right away.
"I'm sorry miss perfect, but I can't serve with any good story for today, I simply woke up a bit late that's all."
"Fine."
She replied a bit dissapointed. Cold Star turned around to look at the sky above Ponyville and as far she could see, like always there was a bit more clouds coming in from the Everfree Forest.
"So, you do the left and mine is the right side?"
Dash did the same as Cold Star before then stopped her before she could take off. Dash meant to ask it for a while now, but she never had the chance to do it since the dark blue fured pegasus with yellow mane and tail which contained a couple of dark blue spots in it, was kind of impossible to get hold of.
"Are you mad at me or something?"
Cold star immediatly stopped in the air and she removed the scared and confused look from her face before turning back to Dash.
"Excuse me?"
"I know you are messing with the schedule to stay away from me in the last three months and everytime when we have to work together, you always do this, I mean go in the other way so we couldn't talk, but I don't understand why."
Dash's confusion was understandable, but Cold Star hoped she will let it go since it's all about the job for Dash. When she joined the weather patrol they spent a lot ot time with each other and Dash taught her everything, but as time passed Cold Star started to feel herself weird, being around Dash and when she saw in the the schedule that they will work together she always asked whoever was in charge of it, to change it for whatever reason.
Cold Star started to feel weird being around Dash and when she saw in the the schedule that they would work together she always asked whoever made it to change it for whatever reason. A couple of times she even reported sick as a lie to avoid Dash when they couldn't change the working schedule. After a few times when she done this, she started to feel sorry for the pegasus as well because she had to work whole shifts alone since they couldn't find anypony else to replace her.
"I'm not mad at you."
With that she flew off and started to wipe the clouds out of existance so Celestia's sun can shine above Ponyville without any disturbance. Dash was standing on the cloud for a few more seconds then she did the same. Three hours passed when Cold Star returned to the spot where she left Dash, but she was nowhere to be found yet she had the feeling she is somewhere around.
She was searching for the pegasus with her eyes all over in the air for a minute when she spotted a small cloud far away. While she was closing to the cloud she could spot Rainbow's tail hanging down from it. She stopped a few meters away, but she could still hear her snoring so she decided to go a bit closer and take a look at the sleeping pegasus. She was so,
"Beautiful."
is the word what crossed Cold Star's mind. She kept her eyes on the pegasus while she didn't make a move and turned on her other side. Cold Star flew away with a strong flap of her wings. She turned around once again while she was moving away from Dash and shook her head.
"I hate this."
She flew back to the other cloud which was floating lonely in the sky since the two pegasi wiped out every other clouds except the one which Dash's using. And yet again dreams reached her which she desired yet hated so much, it was almost like a torture every time when she placed her head to rest.
Cold Star hated to fell asleep during work but they did a great job, especially Dash, she made an excelent job like always, no matter how careless or lazy she looks like sometimes, she took her job as seriously as possible. She eliminated every clouds even above the Everfree forest which meant potential treat to the weather in Ponyville in the next couple of hours.
She didn't know how much time passed, but she was waken up by a thunder. Cold Star opened her eyes to see an enormous black cloud heading towards Ponyville and herself.
"Great."
Judging by their curse the clouds came from the Everfree forest. She lifted her body from the fluffy cloud, but before she would launch out herself to face with them she saw a rainbow line entering into it then cut them into pieces. Dash finished it in a couple of seconds then the massive cloud fall apart then it vanished from the sky.
Cold Star dropped back on the cloud below herself and her mouth left open from what she just witnessed. Dash landed next to her and waved a hoof in front of the other pegasi's eyes and she finally snapped out from it. She slowly turned to Dash who was looking at her.
"This was awesome."
Dash turned back where the cloud was a minute ago then stroke her mane with one of her forehoof.
"Come on, it was nothing."
She was staring at Rainbow Dash for a couple of more seconds then turned away when once again her feelings came alive for the other pegasus who was standing right in front of her.
"What's wrong?"
Dash asked with a bit of worry in her tone and wanted to get closer to Cold Star, but she raised out a hoof towards her.
"Nothing."
"Star, you know that you can tell me anything you want, I'm the element of,"
She turned around to face with the other pegasus with an angry expression on her face.
"I don't want to talk about it, especially not with you, Why can't you mind your own business?"
Dash turned away, let out a sigh and lowered her head.
"I thought we are friends, but well, I can't be right all the time, don't worry we won't need to meet again, I'll take care of the schedule."
She looked upon the sky and saw two pegasi heading towards them. When they get closer Dash could identify Cloud Chaser and Cloud Kicker who were coming to start their shift. Cold Star was lucky that Dash wasn't facing with her right now, because she would be able to see the pain what those words caused to her.
"Dash, it's, I."
She didn't know what to say or do, at least not for all this sudden. Cold Star always thought most of her things through before she acted and she was more responsible than most of the ponies, yet when it came to Dash, all her plans fell apart one after another. She wanted to stay away from Dash, but not like this. Almost a minute passed in silence when the sisters were only a hundred meter away Dash spoke once again to the mare who was tearing up by now.
"You can go our shift is over."
Cold Star remained on the cloud for a few more seconds, but when Dash wanted to turn around, she turned away as fast as she could so Dash couldn't see her crying and flew away. Dash was looking at the pegasus who was flying away and she saw small water drops falling down behind her. She took a look at the cloud where she was standing and she could spot a small pool of tears on it which didn't make any sense to her.
"She wanted this, so what is she crying about."
She murmured it in front of herself before the sisters arrived and greeted her.
Cold Star arrived home carrying the burden which she brought upon herself. She has been in love with Dash for over four months now and she didn't say anything to anypony. How could she anyway, she always refused to feel anything towards anypony since she thought her life is fine as it is. She could always control her feelings without any problem, sealing them away somewhere deep inside her, but this time it was different. Dash was... unique. She could always make her laugh even when she felt down or have an honest conversation about anything, Dash was always there when she had some kind of problem and she told things about herself because she knew she can trust Dash.
Yet she couldn't say it out laud no matter how many times she wanted or tried, that she loves her more than anything. They were friends, no, Dash was more than that she was her best friend and it was something what even more terrified Cold Star. What if Dash will refuse her in a way that their friendship would break apart, what if they couldn't look at each other or talk after that.
Dash was a year younger than Cold Star which was insignificant, but it made Cold Star even more worried about the whole thing. During her life she only allowed one or two pony close to herself, but it was so long time ago yet she could feel the difference. She loved Dash more, more than anypony else.
She hated to admit it to herself, but she needed those days when she was working with Dash, to see her, to talk to her, to be with her without the need to come up with some pathetic excuse which Dash could easily see through.
Several hours passed while she was sitting on a fluffy cloud chair immersed deep inside her thoughts, trying to come up with something how could she solve what happened today and make everything right, but no matter how many times she tried to think of something she couldn't think of anything else than to stand in front of the other mare and tell her face to face.
She pushed her back stronger to the cloud chair which bent down the way how Cold Star wanted to and she closed her eyes to fall asleep. All this thinking made her confused more than ever so she wanted to take a break and finally rest a couple of hours in piece yet no matter how hard she tried to relax. Once again dreams reached her, dreams which she didn't want to be only an illusion. She wanted them to happen in real life, to be with Dash every day and night, to kiss her whenever she wanted.
She was struggling about two hours when she finally gave it up and decided to go on a flight which will hopefully exhaust her body well enough so the dreams won't be able to reach her. As she stepped outside the Moon rose right in front of her on the horizon. She lifted her body in the air and began to flap her wings stronger by one after another. When she felt that she is near her maximum speed, Cold Star was trying to push herself a little further so she can truly release all the energy inside her.
She started her journey without any direction, but when she took a look around where is she exactly her heart picked up more speed and it began to pump more blood through her veins. She was flying towards the one place which she wanted to avoid the most. Dash's house which was still far away, but she could see it. It took her almost ten seconds to slow down and stop herself.
Her breathing became faster as she stopped, trying to calm herself down both phisically and mentaly. Cold Star was staring at the house for a couple of minutes while she was hovering in the same position when a small, cold wind carrying fresh air hit her. She took a couple of deep breath which helped her body to relax a little yet a shiver ran through her entire body since it was covered in sweat.
The battle between her mind and heart was going on for long enough, but the latter was getting stronger by every lost battle and it was the moment when it finally took over her mind and her body slowly started to move towards the house. She wanted to stop herself, so badly, but it was out of her own hooves, her own body was disobeying every order which she gave and instead of slowing down or turning away, she picked up the pace.
It took her a couple of minutes to reach the door, the door which opened up in her dreams without any trouble, but this time she had to make it happen. The war was over the adrenaline floated through her whole body rushing inside her vains when she finally gave up the fight and let her body do what it wanted to. She lifted one of her front hoof and gently knocked on the
door a couple of times.
The few seconds which passed till the door slowly began to open up felt hours to her. When her eyes saw the cyan wing she immediatly lowered her head since she was still ashamed what happened earlier today and she didn't know how Dash will react to her presence.
"Hey Star, what brought you here?"
Dash's voice was calm which releaved Cold Star a little so she look upon the pegasus.
"Can we, talk?"
Dash stepped aside from the door.
"Sure, come in."
She walked into the house and passed Dash then sat down staring on the ground while Dash closed the door behind her.
"I don't want to offend you or anything, but you stink."
Cold Star faced with the love of her life while wearing an emberrased expression on her face who was smiling at her.
"I'm sorry, it's just, I."
Dash interrupted her apologizing.
"Go ahead and take a shower, if you want to."
"Thanks."
She walked upstairs and opened the hot water into the bath which filled in a minute then she lowered her sweaty, stinking body into it. Almost twenty minutes passed when Dash entered for Star's biggest surprise.
"I'm sorry, I thought you fell asleep so I.
"Please don't apologize, I should be the one doing it, for coming so late and well you know."
Dash was about to leave the mare alone, but a question stopped her.
"Have you ever been love with someone who was out of your reach?"
Dash turned around and took a few steps to the bathroom and closed the door so the hot air wouldn't go out.
"Yes."
"May I ask who?"
Dash placed one of her hoof into the hot water then joined to Cold Star whose heart once again was beating in a crazy rhythm.
"Spitfire."
Dash thought it's only one of the conversations which they used to have in the beggining of their friendship so she was trying to be as honest as she could. They were holding eye contact the whole time since Dash returned to the bathroom.
"So I assume you know how hard it is, to hold yourself back when she is around you, not to touch or hug her," She broke the eye contact and closed them. "maybe even, kiss her."
She felt as the water started to move in the pool.
"Are you?"
Her voice came from closer than before and Star's heart beat slowed down.
"Yes."
From the sadness and pain what was written on Cold Star's face, Dash had a feeling it's her who Star is referring. Dash reached one of her hoof towards Cold Star and turned back her face so she can look into her eyes which were still closed. She slowly opened her eyes which were matching with her fur's colour.
"How long?"
Cold Star didn't turn her face away since she didn't want to break the contact between the two of them, only looked away with her eyes.
"Almost four months."
A smile appeared on Dash's face then with a beat of her wings swam back to the other side of the bath.
"Why would you think I'm unreachable for you?, I'm just an ordinary pegasus like any other."
Before Cold Star could answer Dash continued while she turned to the hole at the top of the bathroom where she could see the Moon.
"I mean, I'm the element of loyalty, I can make the sonic rainboom and plenty of other cool stuffs, but that's all yet it doesn't matter what I'm capable of, I'm still blind. I love Spitfire as my idol, but no, my heart isn't beating for her."
Dash turned back to look into Star's eyes. They spent a minute in silence only looking at each other, none of them moved, not even an inch.
"I love you Dash."
A few words only yet Cold Star thought a whole mountain came off from her chest when these words left her mouth and for once again after months she took a long, deep breath freely without carrying the burden of untold love.
"You know I wish you could tell me this four months ago so we could spend all these time together and save plenty of trouble for both of us, but especially for yourself."